These are the questions we hear most often from people who are interested in our service:

What is your investment minimum?
Our minimum is $350,000 per client.

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May I use two or more different accounts to meet the $350,000 minimum?
Yes.

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Who will actually work with me?
Philip A. Springer, President of Retirement Wealth Management, Inc, will work directly with you to determine your goals and risk tolerance, and to develop your personal investment plan. He will also personally manage your investment account(s).

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What types of accounts do you manage?
We manage many different kinds, including regular individual and joint accounts; IRAs and other retirement plans; revocable, irrevocable and charitable trusts; and corporate accounts.

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What is your management fee?
The management fee, to protect a lifetime's accumulation and grow your wealth at low risk, is surprisingly low. And we receive no other compensation of any kind.

The annual percentage is based on portfolio size. For example, the fee is 0.9% of assets for a $350,000 portfolio; a flat 0.8% for $500,000; 0.65% for $1 million; 0.5% for $2 million; and even lower for higher amounts. This expense is far below the cost of a "one-size-fits-all" service. Please ask us about management fees and investment expenses for your portfolio.

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Shouldn't I use a local broker or financial planner instead of your firm?
As recent events have proven yet again, it is often a mistake to rely on the advice of someone just because he or she is local.

It can be hard to find a reliable, trustworthy advisor near you who is an expert in investing for retirement, who puts your needs first, is not subject to conflicts of interest and charges a low fee for truly personal service. That is why Retirement Wealth Management has clients throughout the U.S.

Philip Springer, RWM's President and portfolio manager, visits clients frequently. In addition, he is always available to discuss your situation, your portfolio and the financial markets with you, via telephone or e-mail.

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Do I have to sell everything and turn over the cash to you?
Absolutely not. New clients usually have some good investments that are suitable for their situation. We want to keep those sound investments, if possible. Typically, though, we find other investments in a new client’s portfolio that are too risky or whose fundamentals are weakening, so we sell those. In addition, for the sake of your financial security, it's essential that we factor in changing investment and economic conditions when making the best decisions we can on your behalf. We always consider a client's tax situation and each investment's cost basis (in currently taxable accounts) before making any decision to sell.

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How fast will you invest my cash assets?
That depends on the market conditions for the types of investments that are best for you. In previous years, we tended to invest cash fairly quickly. However, in unfavorable markets, such as those of 2000-2002 and since the summer of 2007, we start slowly and invest gradually, in order to protect clients' assets. Note that we never begin to charge our management fee until we are actively investing on your behalf.

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Do I invest directly with Retirement Wealth Management?
No. Unlike Bernard Madoff and others, we never take custody of client assets. Your assets must be placed with a brokerage firm. We generally work with Charles Schwab, where your assets will be safely held in individual accounts in your name. You receive confirmation of all transactions plus monthly statements. We take care of any account-related needs for you, including setting up new accounts and transferring assets. We send you a quarterly report and a personal letter discussing your account, along with periodic client-only retirement-wealth advisories. It is possible to use another broker if you prefer.

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Does Retirement Wealth Management have access to assets from my account?
No, never. You are fully protected. The only authority you give us is to (1) buy and sell investments in your account and (2) receive our management fee directly from your account each quarter.

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How do I get started?
First, we'll talk with you about your goals, needs and financial situation. Next, we analyze your portfolio to determine if you will benefit from our service. If so, we discuss with you our recommendations for any necessary changes in light of your situation and the investment environment. You incur no fee or obligation for our candid analysis and recommendations. Contact us now!